


Reunion

by EtaeWrites



Series: Lost and Found [2]
Category: Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: it's basically the three of them being big dorks, mostly fluff I suppose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 23:17:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16963350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtaeWrites/pseuds/EtaeWrites
Summary: Meve and Reynard recieve a surprise-visit from Gascon





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> I've been pondering about how exactly Meve could be able to keep Gascon around and ended up with this (admittedly shamelessly self-indulgent) idea.

Her breath escaped the queen with a wheezing sound – a fine blow, and perfectly aimed as she had been distracted by the noise that had come up all too suddenly.

“I'm sorry, did I hurt you?“, Reynard had dropped his practise weapon, immediately rushing to her side with an expression of worry plastered all over his features. The queen coughed a few times, shaking her head.

“No, no”, she replied, eventually straightening up as her lungs were filled with air again, “And how often do I have to tell you to stop apologizing to me? You know as well as I do that it takes a lot more than a stick to cause me more than a bruise or two. I let my guard down, it was my own fault”

Reynard had opened his mouth already to protest, but Meve's scolding look made him close it again. She knew he was simply being protective, as always, but she thought that he really didn't have to worry as much as he did.

“Anyway”, she continued with an exasperated sigh, staring in the general direction of the courtyard – where the source of the howling seemed to be that had startled her enough to mess up her cover and end their sparring match early.

“What's with that noise? Did some idiot let loose a rabbit in the kennels?”

“Would certainly sound like it-”

Reynard was about to continue when a page came stumbling into the training grounds, doing his best to catch his breath before addressing the queen.

“Your Majesty has visitors”, he proclaimed, “They're waiting at the gates and are apparently not aware of the official hours, as they say they won't leave until you talked to them”

Meve raised her brows at that uncourtly request.

“And did those 'guests' say who they are, exactly?”

“Ah, well”, the young man stuttered, “Their leader introduced himself as Duke of Dogs, you see ...”

A sound of annoyance escaped both Meve and Reynard. “Again?”, growled the latter. Ever since Gascon had vanished off the maps, at least one fool each week had tried to convince them that he was, in fact, Gascon Brossard, in order to claim the currently empty estate and lands.

“Does he have any proof?”, Meve replied.

“Uhm, ah ...”

“Come on, man, we don't have all day”

“Well, now, he said to tell you that, ah … I will quote this here … to 'tell Mevie her loyal dachshund has returned to bring her some gifts' … and then simply howled like some kind of madman”, the page looked at his queen for a single moment before averting his gaze to his feet, as if fearing a scolding for delivering such an impertinent message. Yet what he got in reply, was a hearty laugh.

“He really said that?”, Meve laughed and turned to Reynard with a grin, “My dear, I think we might've finally found the real Gascon”

After she told the page to let in the men waiting at the gates so she could meet them in the yard, Reynard stepped to her side with a puzzled frown.

“What makes you so sure that's really Gascon? Anyone could just go and imitate the Strays of Spalla's howl if he researched on the matter”

“Ah, I never told you, did I? When I asked him about his title, Gascon told me he was some kind of werewolf – half man, half dachshund”, Meve giggled at the thought. She hadn't found that joke very funny when he told it, but by now it was a dear memory.

“Considering the message he wanted to have delivered to you, it does indeed sound like Gascon ...”, Reynard shook his head and stayed silent until they arrived at the courtyard.

On the big paved place, a group of about fifteen men waited for them, as well as two pointer dogs that sat by one of them, apparently the leader of the lot. His clothes were greens and browns, a hood pulled deep into his face and a black and white feather bouncing on his cap whenever he moved. The page announced Meve and Reynard, and the figure turned to reveal a very characteristic, wide grin on his face.

“Now here she is, my favourite queen in the north and her lucky husband!”, he called out with a laugh and stepped towards them, only for two guards to step in and block his path.

“Ahh, should've suspected that. Would you call them off, maybe? It's hard to see the two of you with pikes pointed at my face”

Meve laughed slightly at the sight and ordered the guards to get back in line – just to have Gascon leap at the chance and pull her into a hug. His manners hadn't improved a bit. Probably worsened even, considering this near-assault. The guards watched the scene anxiously, as if fearing the mercenary would stab their queen. Only the fact that Reynard remained calm and simply rolled his eyes at Gascon's behaviour made them stay in line.

“I missed you too, _dachshund_ ”, Meve grinned as he pulled away again and seemed to ponder on whether to hug or not hug Reynard as well.

“Don't you dare”, he whispered, so Gascon made do with clapping the other man's arm with a grin. Reynard's sigh and head-shaking was betrayed by the hint of a smile that tugged at his lips.

“So you finally decided to follow my offer then?”, Meve picked up on the question that she had wanted to ask the second she saw him.

“Why of course, otherwise I wouldn't have shown up with fanfares and banners”, he replied, “Or, howls and a gift, more like. Wanted to deliver you something you've apparently been looking for for a while now and we happened to stumble upon on our endeavors”

Gascon waved at one of his men and they pulled someone out of their middle Meve hadn't noticed before – bound in ropes and chains and with a burlap sack over his head. Removing the piece of cloth, a head with shaggy hair appeared, unshaven and bound with a gag so he wouldn't spew insults at his captors.

“Heard there's quite a bounty on this fella's head. Thought it would be a good one to make our debut as your secret bloodhounds”, he grinned.

Meve looked at Gascon in surprise, then turned her attention to the captive. The leader of a band of brigands who had taken to terrorize the land and it's inhabitants in the past year or so. Their attacks had become more and more vicious with every passing month, so the queen had called out money on his head to get rid off him. So far, no one had been able to seize him or his men, and Meve had worried she'd have to ride out herself to remove him – and now here he was, shackled and at her mercy. A small, satisfied smile appeared on the queen's face.

“Well done, _Lord Brossard_ ”, she said and then gestured at the captured brigand, “Now get this man to the dungeon, I'll deal with him later. For now, our dear guests deserve their pay and food for their endeavors in capturing that scoundrel while I talk to their leader”

***

“Is it just me or do Gascon's men look familiar?”, Meve asked, her gaze wandering over the palace guests that did their best to appear like they knew how to act polite in front of their queen. Which mostly showed in them putting tremendous effort in attempting to not wolf down the feast on the table in a matter of minutes.

“Of course they look familiar”, Gascon interjected from her other side, having overheard the conversation, “Because they fought with us side by side in the war. My best men. Though, sadly not all of them as you can see”

“What happened to the others?”, Reynard wanted to know.

“Dead or rotting in one of Lyria's or Rivia's dungeons. Great fighters and trackers and all that they are, but as you can see not all of them turned honorable after the fighting ended – good soldiers, but no good men”

“And yet, you mourn them”, Meve remarked. She had noticed the small change in Gascon's expression – his usual grin vanishing for a few seconds, and even though he caught himself quickly, the smile didn't reach his eyes anymore now.

“Sure do. Were kind of like my family for years, after all, no matter how awful humans they were ...”

It was a rare sight to have the former Duke of Dogs go silent like this and Meve reached out to put a hand on his in reassurance.

“I know you don't like to talk about that, so I won't pry. But know that we're glad you finally decided to accept us as family, too – we did so long ago”

Gascon turned his gaze to Meve and her husband, and even the stoic Count Odo had a small smile on his face, affirming the queen's words.

“... oh shut up you two”, Gascon eventually blurted, “Or you're going to make me cry – and nobody wants to see _that_ ”

Meve laughed silently and pat Gascon on the back, before turning her attention to other matters again.

“But do tell me, how did you get them to accept my proposal? Considering how freedom-loving the lot of you are, no matter how long you fought by my side”, she wanted to know.

“Ah, wasn't even that difficult to be frank”, Gascon replied with a shrug and a grin, “Your conditions were more than acceptable. You said it yourself, we're still our own masters, after all. Simply reporting back to you and getting pointed in the general direction of some troublemakers to keep an eye out for – plus making a decent amount of coin more that way. Also, the prospect of not immediately hanging even if we end up doing something illegal during our 'investigations' is a pretty nice bonus”, he laughed, “It's nice to see that you think we're the right kind of lot for the job, too – not many rulers would trust former brigands to act as their spymasters after all. Nice push for the ego”

“I'm glad to hear”, Meve smiled and let her gaze wander through the hall. Truly, Gascon's men were rough and obviously not suited to serve at court, but they were nimble and clever, and most importantly had unwavering faith in their leader.

She was glad Reynard had one day pointed out a use for a group like that – while their soldiers were good use on a battlefield and in other matters of safety, some campaigns simply needed a certain secrecy they weren't trained at.

With the former Strays however, they now had a band of specialists at hand that should be able to take care of that as well.

 


End file.
